Theoria
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Benko Gambit Declined

Quiet Line

A57positionaloffbeat

  1. 1.d4Nf6
  2. 2.c4c5
  3. 3.d5b5
  4. 4.Nd2
616 games47%48%

A quiet way to decline the Benko Gambit with 4. Nd2, aiming to answer ...bxc4 with e4 and regain the pawn with the bishop. Play is roughly balanced.

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About the Quiet Line

The Quiet Line, 4. Nd2, declines the Benko Gambit by inviting 4...bxc4. White intends to reply 5. e4, with the knight supporting the advance, and then recover the c4-pawn with the light-squared bishop. The capture 4...bxc4 is Black's most frequent reply, while 4...g6 and the space-gaining 4...b4 are also common. Results in practice are close to even, and the engine assessment is roughly balanced.

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